Genetic Archaeology News - May 2009 Archives
VIB researchers linked to K.U.Leuven and Harvard University show that stretches of DNA previously believed to be useless 'junk' DNA play a vital role in the evolution of our genome. They found that unstable pieces of junk DNA help tuning gene activity and enable organisms to quickly adapt to changes in their environments. The results will be published in the reputed scientific Journal Science.
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Mice carrying a "humanized version" of a gene believed to influence speech and language may not actually talk, but they nonetheless do have a lot to say about our evolutionary past, according to a report in the May 29 issue of the journal Cell, a Cell Press publication.
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New light has been thrown on how humans choose their partners, says Professor Maria da Graça Bicalho, of the University of Parana, Brazil. Her research has shown that people with diverse major histocompatibility complexes (MHCs) were more likely to choose each other as mates than those whose MHCs were similar, and that this was likely to be an evolutionary strategy to ensure healthy reproduction.
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Supply and demand could be a governing principle even at the genetic level, because most genes are only expressed when needed. New results of biologists of Ludwigs-Maximilians-Universitat in Munich show that, in microbes, evolutionary factors determine which regulation mechanism will regulate a given gene.
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A team of researchers, led by the University of Minnesota, addressing long-standing conflicts in ecology and evolutionary science, has provided key directions for the future of community ecology.
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A team of researchers, addressing long-standing conflicts in ecology and evolutionary science, has provided key directions for the future of community ecology. The team comprehensively synthesized emerging work that applies knowledge of evolutionary relationships among different species -- phylogenetics -- to understanding species interactions, ecosystems and biodiversity.
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 | Researchers comparing the fetal development of the eye of the owl monkey with that of the capuchin monkey have found that only a minor difference in the timing of cell proliferation can explain the multiple anatomical differences in the two kinds of eyes. ...> Full Article |
A Chinese scientist group working in College of Life Science, Zhejiang University, has recently shown that, as mammalian Igf2 CpG island, goldfish Igf2 CpG island has a parental differentially methylated region (DMR). These results indicate that the evolutionary foundation of genomic imprinting exists in lower vertebrates and genomic imprinting should not be considered as a unique evolutionary event of mammals. The study is reported in volume 54 of Chinese Science Bulletin.
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Deep mining of data offers information on human evolution and relationships among populations
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 | DNA analysis shows that Indonesian zebu cattle have a unique origin with banteng (Bos javanicus) as part of their ancestry. ...> Full Article |
 | A popular view among evolutionary biologists that fundamental genes do not acquire new functions was challenged this week by a new study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. ...> Full Article |
The May 2009 issue of Genome Research is a special issue celebrating the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin's birth, and the 150th anniversary of the publication of "On the Origin of Species". Published online today, the issue features a collection of perspective reviews and primary research in comparative genomics, genome evolution, and population genomics.
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Study from second dinosaur offers further evidence of bird-dinosaur evolution
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Scientists from Cornell University have developed a new tool for identifying big events in human history and pinpointing the origins of specific gene mutations. This research, published in the May issue of the journal GENETICS, helps shed light on times when the human population moved close to extinction and helps scientists close in on gene mutations that make some demographic groups more likely to develop diseases such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, among others.
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 | DNA evidence shows that Native Americans and Greenlanders are more closely related to each other than to any other existing Asian populations, except those that live at the very edge of the Bering Strait ...> Full Article |
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Scientists discover 'catastrophic event' behind the halt of star birth in early galaxy formation
Fish can recognize a face based on UV pattern alone
'Anaconda' meets 'Jurassic Park': Study shows ancient snakes ate dinosaur babies
Scientists locate apparent hydrothermal vents off Antarctica
Artificial bee silk a big step closer to reality
Predicting the fate of stem cells
Artificial foot recycles energy for easier walking
New fiber nanogenerators could lead to electric clothing
What drives our genes? Researchers map the first complete human epigenome
Juggling enhances connections in the brain
Tracking down the human 'odorprint'
Fill 'er up - with algae
Scientists discover quantum fingerprints of chaos
Researchers help identify cows that gain more while eating less
SU biologists' work with 'glow-in-the-dark' sperm sheds light on sexual selection
Fungi can change quickly, pass along infectious ability
Dogs likely originated in the Middle East, new genetic data indicate
Molecular study could push back angiosperm origins
Phylogenetic analysis of Mexican cave scorpions suggests adaptation to caves is reversable
Scientific breakthrough in genetic studies of animal domestication
Scientists discover 600 million-year-old origins of vision
Unselfish molecules may have helped give birth to the genetic material of life
Exploring Echinacea's enigmatic origins
Lizard moms choose the right genes for the right gender offspring